Butterfly valve



Sept. 22, 1931. E. w. ORTON 1,824,168

BUTTERFLY VALVE Filed Feb. 18. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 22 /0 I3 22 2/ l8l0 l3 A TTORNE YS.

Sept. 22, 1931. E. w. ORTON BUTTERFLY VALVE Filed Feb. 18. 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FlE E I N V EN TOR frrresfflfarfa BY M Quip E A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED stares PATENT oFFICE ERNEST W. ORTON, FvItIOUN'IAIN VIEW,

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PELTON WATER WHEEL COMPANY, OF SANFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF I CALIFORNIA f BUTTERFLY VALVEApplication filed February 18, 1829. Serial No. 340,786.

This invention relates generally to valves of the butterfly type, whichare employed for controlling the flow of various fluids.

Valves of the butterfly type generally utilize a body member having apassage for flow of fluid, together with a butterfly member movable fromopen to closed position.

Generally the butterfly member is substantially a disc which extendslaterally across and. obstructs the. passage when in closed position,and which extends intermediate the passage along the direction of flowof fluid, when in open position. When valves of'this character whichhave previously been em- 1 ployed are in open or partially openposition, considerable frictional and eddy current losses occur due tothe character of the surface contour presented by the butterfly memherto the fluid. Furthermore the edges of $0 the butterfly member arefrequently; eroded or worn away in use, to such an extent that they donot properly seat when the-valve is closed. 1 v I It is a general objectof this invention to devise a butterfly valve having a relatively highflow efliciency, and in which losses due to friction between the fluidand the butterfly member due to eddy currents, are reduced to a minimum.

It is a further object ofthis invention to devise means for protectingone or moreof the edges of a butterfly member, when a va ve' of thischaracter is in open position.

It is a further object of this invention to devise means for reducingthe hydraulic friction losses resulting fromo flow past the butterflymember of a valve of the above character, whereby normal flow conditionsthrough the valve body are greatly improved.

Further objects of theinvention will ape pearfrom the followingdescription in which I have set forth the preferred embodiment of myinvention. It is to be understood that the appended claims are to beaccorded a range of equivalents consistent with the state of the priorart.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view in cross section, illustrating abutterfly valve incorporating my invention. 1 it Fig. 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing the valve in closed rather than openposltion. r r

' Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thevalve casing or body being shown in cross section.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the valve as shown in Fig. 1, the butterflymember being in open position.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified constructionof the valve.

A detail description of the invention as illustrated in the drawings isas follows: Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, I have shown aconventional form of valve body 10 having a passage 11 for flow offluid. The usual there is a butterfly member 14. In order to provide forcontrolling movements, this member has been shown with 1ts intermediateportion mounted upon a suitable shaft 16,

and this shaft is journaled in suitable bearings 17 The outline ofbutterfly member 14 in plan is shown in Fig.3 and can be various lyshaped, although I prefer that it be practically circular or disc-like.When the valve isin' open position, the butterfly member 1 1 has oneedge indicated at 18 which is advanced toward the flow of fluid, and maytherefore be termed the leading edge, while the other edge indicated at19 may be' termed the trailing'edge. When the valve is in closedposition, these edges cooperate with suitable seating surfaces carriedby the valve body. For example I have shown the leading edge 18 providedwith a suitable insert 21 of metal or other suitable material, which isadapted to seat upon a similar ring portion 22 carried by the body 10.Likewise For convenience the left the trailing edge 19 is provided withan insert adapted to seat upon a ring portion 2 1.

In combination with the structure described above, I provide meanscooperating with at least the leading edge 18, and preferablycooperating with both'edges 18 and 19, when the valve is in openposition. Thus cooperating with the leading edge 18 I have shown a strutor vane 26. which is stationary with respectto the valve body, and whichex tends'in the general directionof the shaft 16. As suitable means forretaining this strut in proper position, I have shown bolts 27 whichserve to secure it to opposite sides of the valve body. Viewin thisstrut in plan as shown in Fig. 3, itv is provided with one edge28.-whichfollowssubstantially the contour of the leading edge 18 of thebutterfly member-14, and hasanother edge 29 which ispresented -.to theflow of fluid. S'uflicient clearance is provided between strut 26 andthe butterfly member 14 to permit movement of this member to a positionin which the leading edge 18 is directly behind the strut 26,-as

. shown in Fig; 1.

For cooperating with the-trailing edge 19 of thebutterfly member, Ipreferably provide a strut-31 which alsocextends in the generaldirection'of-shaft 116, and is secured to opposite: sides'o-fthe-valve-body by suitable meansrsuch-as bolts 32. As viewed in Fig-. 3,

strut 31 is providedwithan edge 38-following generally the contour oftrailing edge 19, and

also presents-an edge 34 toward the outflow 26 and-I31, and 'thebutterfly member 14. i The-principlesgoverning. stream-lining, of

bodies to minimize surface frictional losses of fluidssflo-wingby-the-same, and to mininnzeelosses duento eddycurrents in the fluld,

are well known; It-is believed sufficient to I note thatstreamlinedbodies present curved surfaces, that they are-tapered towardtheirlea'dingand trailing edges, and that the'leading portion is Igenerally relatively blunter than. the trailing. portion. Thus strut 26'presents curved surfaces and is thickened toward theshafit 16: Thesides-0f butterfly member liars likewise curved, and this member has lts1I1i36HI1QCll1t9-POFt1OII thickened as shown in-Fig. 1. Theioutersurfaces of strut 31 are curvedandfthis strut is tapered towardtheedges-34.- lvhen the butterfly member "14 is.

in' open: position as shown in Fig. 1,. the surfaces of struts 26 and31-cont1nue the stream lme :conti-nuit-y of the sides of butterflyn1em-- ber lq so-thatthe-struts'together'with mem-' ber l i form in:effect a stream line body.

lvhile the stream liningiof certain'parts-of my val-vefor increasing theflow efliciency'is a'avaluable feature of my invention,it is also tabsnotedthat-the strut 26 protects the.

leading edge 18 and the seating surface of insert 21, when the valve isin open position. Thus in my valve the edges of the butterfly member arenot subject to wear or erosion and are maintained in such condition thatthey can always eflectively seal when the valve is closed. StrutBllikewise protectsthetrailing edge 19, although this edge is generallynot subject to such severe wear or erosion as the leading edge 18. It isalso characteristic of my invention that the head losses caused by fluidflow past opposite sides of the butterfly member 14, are substantiallyreduced when the valve is open. This reduction of head losses not onlymakes for better normal flow conditions through thevalve, but tends to acertain extent to maintain the butterfly member alined with respecttothe struts 26 and 31..

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification of he invention in which the valvebody 100 is shorter than the width of the butterfly member'l l. Flanges113 carried by the body member are shown connected to complementaryflanges of-conduits 36 and 37. ,Instead of securingthe struts 26 and 31to the valve bodylOO, these struts are secured to opposite sides ofconduits 36'and 37, by suitable means such as bolts 38 and 89respectively.

It is apparent that features of my inventionare applicable to valvesemployed for avariety of purposes. By fluid asthis term is employed inthe specification and claims I have reference to liquids, gases, vaporsor fluid mixtures.

I claim:

1. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member movably connected to said body and disposed withinsaid body, said butterfly member having a closed position and an openposition in which it extends intermediate said passage and along thedirection of flow, and means for directing flow of fluid pastan edge ofsaid member, When the same is in open position.

2. A valve comprising a body-member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member movable to open and closed positions Within saidpassage, said member when in open position extending in the generaldirection of flow and presenting leading and trailing edges, and meansarranged to direct flow past said leading edge when said member is inopen position.

3. A valve comprising a bodymember havinga passage for flow of fluid, abutterfly membermovable to open and closed positions within saidpassage, said member when in open position extending in the generaldirection of flow and presenting. leading and trailing, edges, and meansarranged to direct flow past said trailing edge when said memberis inopen position.

4. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member movable to open and closed positions within saidpassage, said member when in open position extending in the generaldirection of flow and presenting leading and trailing edges, and meansarranged to direct flow past said edges when said member is in openposition.

5. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly valve member movable to an open position in which itoccupies-an intermediate portion of the passage and to a closed positionin which it obstructs the passage, and a strut arranged to extend alongand direct flow past one edge of said butterfly valve when the same isin open position.

6. A valve comprising a body member having a pasage for flow of fluid, abutterfly valve member movable to an open position in which it occupiesan intermediate portion of the passage and to a closed positon in whichit obstructs the passage, and a strut arranged to extend along anddirect flow past one edge of said butterfly valve when the same is inopen position, said strut being stationary with respect to said body.

7. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly valve member movable to an open posi tion in which itoccupies an intermediate portion of the passage and to a closed positionin which it obstructs the passage, and a pair of struts positionedintermediate said passage, said butterfly valve when in open positionextending between said struts, the edges of said valve beingsubstantially protected by said struts when in open position.

8. A valve comprising a body having a passage extending thru the samefor flow of fluid, a pair of struts arranged at spaced points along saidpassage in the direction of flow, a butterfly member movable fromaclosed position to an open position, said member in open positionextending along said passage between said struts.

9. A valve comprising a body having a passage extending thru the samefor flow of fluid, a pair of struts arranged at spaced points along saidpassage in the direction of flow, a butterfly member movable from aclosed position to an open position, said member in open positionextending along said passage between said struts, said struts presentingcurved surfaces to direct flow part and substantially out of contactwith the edges of said member.

10. A valve comprising a body having a passage extending thru the same.for flow of fluid, a pair of struts arranged at spaced points along saidpassage in the direction of flow, a butterfly member movable from aclosed position to an open position, said member when in open positionhaving a leading edge lying immediately behind one strut and a trailingedge lying immediately in front of the other strut, said struts and said-member shaped to present a streamlined surface as a whole.

11. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member disposed within said passage and movable between openand closed positions, said member presenting both stream lined andunstream lined surfaces to fluid flow during movement between saidpositions, and means for effecting stream lining adj acent the unstreamlined surface of the member when in open position.

12. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member having a seat portion and movably disposed withinsaid passage, said member bein movable between a closed position in whicsaid member cooperates with a seat portion on the body member to closethe passage and an open position in which said member presents the seatportion to fluid flow, and means for directing fluid flow past said seatportion and out of contact therewith.

18. A valve comprising a body member having a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member movably disposed within said passage for flow offluid, said member being movable to open and closed positions, and meansfor automatically changing the character of the surface presented to thefluid flow as said member is moved from closed to open position.

14. A valve comprising a body member having-a passage for flow of fluid,a butterfly member movably disposed within said passage for flow offluid and having a stream lined and an unstream lined portion, saidmember being movable to open and closed positions, and means forautomatically effecting stream-lining adjacent the unstreamed linedportion of said member when said member is in its open position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST W. ORTON.

